I plan to join the UC Davis Health Radiology and Emergency Medicine Departments’ annual trip to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul, The Gambia. Our mission is to promote education in radiology and point-of-care ultrasound, with a focus on building sustainable diagnostic and interventional skills. This effort is part of a longitudinal, multi-year program that has helped develop a life-saving diagnostic and procedural curriculum in a resource-limited setting.
During the trip, I will participate in hands-on workshops and lectures demonstrating ultrasound-guided procedures, such as needle aspirations and biopsies, as well as diagnostic applications for abdominal, thoracic, and obstetric imaging. These skills directly address a critical gap in access to advanced imaging and radiology expertise in The Gambia, where limited equipment and personnel often make exploratory surgery a diagnostic necessity and limit treatment opportunities for chronic diseases such as hepatitis and parasitic liver infections. By equipping local providers with practical, portable imaging tools, we aim to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce invasive interventions, and ultimately lower rates of postoperative complications and chronic disease burden.
Our departments have also developed a collaboration with the teaching hospital’s small but growing radiology residency program, led by Dr. Temitope Bello. Beyond our in-person trip, we have continued our mentorship virtually through monthly Zoom teaching sessions. After meeting the Gambian radiology trainees in person, I plan to continue learning with them remotely while amplifying their radiology curriculum, such as through case-based learning and providing feedback on their obtained ultrasound images. This continued partnership ensures that the knowledge and techniques shared during our trip have a lasting, cumulative impact—strengthening local expertise and promoting self-sustaining radiology education in The Gambia.
The primary beneficiaries of this project are the patients and healthcare providers of The Gambia, a nation with severe healthcare limitations, particularly in a newer, technological specialty such as radiology. The country currently operates with minimal imaging infrastructure, such as possessing only one functional MRI scanner nationwide. Furthermore, the number of trained radiologists in interpreting cross-sectional imaging such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI studies is extremely limited. Many diagnoses which are made noninvasively in developed countries instead are diagnosed through open explorative surgeries, contributing to high rates of postoperative complications and infection. Post-surgical sepsis remains a leading cause of mortality in Gambian hospitals, and this statistic is a concrete endpoint that our project aspires to improve.
Our team aims to address this critical issue by teaching point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) techniques for both diagnostic and interventional use. POCUS offers a practical, sustainable solution in a low-resource environment as it requires lower-cost equipment, is portable, and can be used directly at the bedside. Training local physicians to perform and interpret ultrasound studies, as well as to carry out image-guided procedures such as needle aspirations and biopsies, can significantly reduce both the rate invasive exploratory operations and disease morbidity.
Through empowering local physicians with these skills, we hope to create a multiplicative effect which improves diagnostic accuracy, patient safety, and clinical outcomes long-term after our visits. Ultimately, the Gambian population will benefit from earlier, safer diagnoses, fewer post-surgical complications, and a more self-sufficient medical community capable of continuing our progress independently through their teaching institution.
This trip combines my passion for radiology and medical education. Throughout medical school and residency, I have remained engaged in teaching, recruitment, and mentorship, and I hope to share that same enthusiasm for learning with physicians and trainees in The Gambia. By demonstrating the clinical power of point-of-care ultrasound, we aim to foster local confidence in diagnostic decision-making and promote the adoption of sustainable, low-cost imaging practices.
The endpoints of this project extend far beyond our physician time in The Gambia. For example, our organization has already started a longitudinal, remote curriculum through monthly virtual Zoom sessions between our radiology residency programs. One of the program’s current goals is to increase recruitment of additional radiologists and other physicians to participate in these remote educational initiatives, so that we may ensure continuity of collaboration and support between our faculty and trainees.
Upon returning, I plan to share my experiences and impacts through presentations within my institution and through professional platforms such as Doximity. I hope that highlighting the tangible benefits of these global partnerships can inspire broader participation among residents and faculty physicians, ultimately amplifying the reach and sustainability of our work for years to come.
Looking forward, I hope to continue a career in academic radiology, where I can combine teaching, clinical practice, and global health initiatives to promote equity in healthcare resources. As my first global trip, this scholarship would greatly initiate my journey into understanding the barriers faced by under-resourced health systems and reinforce my commitment to advancing diagnostic access and education worldwide.
